Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Amphipyra Members: 433 NC Records

Amphipyra pyramidoides Guenée, 1852 - Copper Underwing

Amphipyra pyramidoidesAmphipyra pyramidoidesAmphipyra pyramidoidesAmphipyra pyramidoides
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Amphipyrinae		Tribe:
Amphipyrini		P3 Number:
931544		 MONA Number:
9638.00		 Other Common Names:
American Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra, Humped Green Fruitworm
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Wingspan: 38-52 mm (Covell, 1984)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Occurs statewide
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Amphipyra pyramidoidesAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Wagner et al. (2011) list woodlands and forests as habitats used by this species. Our records come from nearly all types of hardwood-dominated habitats, from maritime forests to high elevation oak forests and northern hardwoods.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are widely polyphagous, feeding on hardwood trees, shrubs, and vines belonging to many families. Wagner (2005) specifically lists maple (Acer), hickory (Carya), chestnut (Castanea), hawthorn (Crataegus), walnut (Juglans), apple (Malus), Virginia Creeper, poplar (Populus), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), Rhododendron, currant (Ribes), greenbriers (Smilax), American Basswood, blueberry (Vaccinium), Viburnum, and grape (Vitis). In North Carolina, we have recorded larvae feeding on maple (Acer sp.), American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), American Plum (Prunus americana), Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia), Water Oak (Quercus nigra), and Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Amphipyra pyramidoides - Copper Underwing

 175 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-11-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Tony McBride, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-10-29
Craven Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-22
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-22
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-18
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-14
Henderson Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-10-03
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-19
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-09-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-08-11
Moore Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-07-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-19
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-10
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-04
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2025-07-03
Wake Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-29
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Melody McMichael on 2025-06-26
Forsyth Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-21
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-21
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Joye Zhou on 2025-06-20
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-18
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-18
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-04-07
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2025-04-07
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-11-05
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-11-05
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-11-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-11-01
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Amphipyra pyramidoides
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-30
Orange Co.
Comment: